Improvement in letter-boxes



J'. KATZ.

- LETTE-Box. n No. 184,529. `P-afen-txer Nov. 21,1876.

WITNESSES z ATTORNEYS.

' the box, and provided with teeth at the free mutilated pinion, that operates, by a pawl-and- JOSEPH KATZ, OE

PATENT OEEIOE.

NEw YORK, Nqr.v

IMPROVEMENT IN LETTER-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,529, dated November 21, 1876; application filed October 7, 1876.

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH KATZ, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Letter-Box, of which the following is a specification:

1n the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a side elevation of my improved letter-box, with parts broken out to show construction of operating mechanism below; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on line x Fig. 1. p

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention relates to an improved letterbox that indicates automatically, by being opened and closed, the time at which the mail is to be collected; and the invention consists of a swinging door or drop that is hinged to end. that engage similar teeth ot' a roller or ratchet device, the-time-indicatingdisk.

Referring to the drawing, A represents a letter-box, which is provided at one side with a door, B, hinged to the lower part of the same. The door B has qnadrantal sides B', that are guided along the walls ot' the box A in being swung outwardly and pushed inwardly, the sides preventing the letters from falling out when Opening the box. vThe arcshaped edges of the sides B are tapering, and slide in grooves ot' a roller, G, that turns in bearings ot' the box above the closing edge of the door. The rear ends ofthe edges ot' the sides B have short curved extensions o, that bear againstv the roller, so as to retain the door in position when entirely Opened. The upper edge ot' the door B is provided with a few rack-teeth, b, that engage similar teeth, b, of the roller G, when the door is opened or closed. The roller C is connected, by a hookshaped spring-pawl, D, with a ratchet-wheel, 1)', for turning a disk, E, along the circumference ot' which the time fixed for collecting the letters is arranged for a Week or other period, the teeth ofthe ratchet corresponding thereto. At each opening of the door the pawl is made to slide'over one or more teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel by the intermeshing of the teeth of roller and door; and at the closingot' the door, after the letters have been taken out, the teeth of door and roller intermesh again, carrying the roller back, and causing the spring-pawl to engage the ratchet and Set thereby the disk E to the hour at which the Inail is next to be collected.v The tapering quadrantal edges ofthe side parts B of the door bear on the roller C, and retain the.

same in position, preventing the turning of the same during the swinging oi' the door into' open or closed position. The' leverage of spring-pawl, number or" teeth, and division of time-indicating disk are proportioned to the frequency by which the mails are collected, so as to be readily arranged for any mail-service. A covering interior wall incloses the operating mechanism, and admits the ready changing ofthe same, if desired.

* The appointed time is visible through a glass-covered perforation at the front ot' the letter-box, while the letters are deposited preferably from the sides. The door is closed by a suitable lock, and arranged by the mechanism described, to adjust the time-disk in pertectl f automatic manner without an inter- 

